Drum assembly



March 1, F. HUEBSCH, SR

DRUM ASSEMBLY Filed Jan. 8, 1962 INVENTOR. Mom-E. F. Huasscnfln MAM ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,237,317 DRUM ASSEMBLY Monte F. Heubsch, Sin, Milwaukee, Wis., assignor to McGraw-Edison Company, Elgin, 111., a corporation of Delaware Filed Jan. 8, 1962, Ser. No. 164,735 2 Claims. (Cl. 34-133) This invention relates to clothes dryers and the like and, more particularly, to a drum construction for such dryers which permits an increase in the size of the dryer loading door in relation to the drum size without adversely affecting the efficacy of dryer operation.

The ribs of a dryer drum, when properly designed, perform a definite function in insuring proper lifting and tumbling action of the articles being dried. If these ribs are not large enough, tumbling action is inadequate and rotation of the drum tends to rope or tangle the contents of the drum. Furthermore, the ribs rotate with respect to the stationary cabinet wall and door so that adequate clearance must be provided to avoid pinching and consequent tearing of the contents. This gives rise to two conflicting design considerations and, heretofore, proper rib design has imposed a limitation on the size of the dryer loading door in that, in providing properly sized ribs, the loading opening was frequently made smaller than desirable to provide the necessary clearance. It is highly desirable that the loading opening be as large as possible to facilitate loading, unloading and inspection of the drum interior.

An object of this invention is to provide a dryer construction which permits an increase in the loading opening of the dryer in relation to the drum size while retaining proper tumbling action of the dryer contents. This object is achieved through provision of ribs of adequate size throughout substantially the length of the drum to produce proper lifting and tumbling action. The ribs extend from the rear of the drum and terminate in spaced relation from, but in close proximity to, the front wall or loading opening of the dryer and are connected to the front wall of the dryer by a member specially contoured so that its extension into the drum interior is less adjacent the dryer loading opening than the extension of the ribs. This permits the front Wall loading opening to be enlarged and be substantially greater than the opening defined by the ribs.

The novel features of this invention are set forth in the appended claims. The invention itself, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be more clearly understood from a reading of the following description in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein a preferred embodiment of this invention is illustrated and in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a dryer;

FIG. 2 is a section view along lines 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a section view along lines 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a section view along lines 44 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a section view along lines 55 of FIG. 4; and

FIG. 6 is a section view along lines 6-6 of FIG. 4.

With reference to the drawings, this invention has particular application in a clothes dryer 10, or similar apparatus, of either the commercial or domestic type. Dryer 10 includes a drum assembly 12 and a front wall 14. A door 16 fits into an opening 18 provided in front wall 14 and through which clothing, or the like is loaded and unloaded. Drum assembly 12 is suitably supported within the dryer to be rotatably driven by motor 20.

Drum assembly 12 includes a cylindrical body 22 which is suitably perforated (not shown) to allow for hot air flow through the drum. A back plate 24 closes the rear of body 22 and an annular front plate 26 is attached to ICC" the other end of body 22. Front plate 26 includes an opening 28 which registers with opening 18 (FIG. 3) for access to the interior of the drum assembly.

Spaced around the body 22 are rib assemblies 30 extending the axial length of the drum and also extending radially inwardly with respect to the axis of rotation of the drum. Each assembly 30 includes a rib 32 having a predetermined radial extension, this extension being uniform for substantially the entire axial length of the drum. More particularly, ribs 32 extend from back plate 24 and terminate short of, but in proximity to, the annular front plate 26. Each rib assembly also includes an end member 34 positioned intermediate the end of rib 32 and front plate 26. End 36 of member 34 engages rib 32 and has a radial extension generally equal to that of the rib and end 38 of member 34 engages front plate 26. The radial extension of end 38 is less than that of rib 32. With this construction opening 28 in annular plate 26, and accordingly opening 18 in the front wall, can have a greater diameter than that which is defined by the radial inward extension of ribs 32. Accordingly, the extension of ribs 32 into the interior of the drum assembly can be selected for proper tumbling action without placing any restrictions on the diameter of the opening 18. Therefore, opening 28 and correspondingly opening 18 can be made large enough for facile loading, unloading and inspection of the interior of the dryer. For ease of manufacture rib assemblies 30 are made up of two individual elements, however, member 34 could, if desired, be formed integrally with ri'b 32. Where two separate elements are used a through bolt 39 connects the rib assemblies between back plate 34 and front plate 26. An arcuate and generally sloping portion 40 connects ends 36 and 38 so as to provide maximum clearance adjacent stationary front wall 14 while retaining more of a tumbling surface adjacent ribs 32. Structurally the inward extensions of ribs 32 define a circle having a diameter less than the diameter of opening 28, and correspondingly opening 18. Whereas the inward extensions of end members 34 at front plate 26 define a circle having a diameter greater than that of opening 28, and correspondingly opening 18, so that the area immediately adjacent opening 18 is substantially open to prevent material being damaged by becoming lodged between the rotating drum and stationary load opening 18 while allowing ribs 32 to overlap the load opening for optimum tumbling action.

In accordance with this invention the dryer loading opening and the ribs of the dryer drum can each be designed for optimum performance independently of the other and without placing any restriction on the other so that both proper tumbling action and most facile loading and unloading can be achieved in the dryer.

The description and illustration of this invention in connection with a particular preferred embodiment thereof has been intended for illustrative purposes only and should not be taken by way of limitation. Accordingly, it is intended in the appended claims to cover all modefications and embodiments of this invention as fall within the true spirit and scope thereof.

What I claim is:

1. In material treating apparatus having a stationary wall portion including a loading opening through which material can be loaded into and unloaded from said apparatus, a generally circular drum having opposed end walls, means mounting said drum for rotation relative to said stationary wall portion and said loading opening, one of said end Walls including an opening registering with the loading and unloading opening in said stationary wall portion, a plurality of rib assemblies spaced around and extending radially inwardly from said drum, each of said rib assemblies including a first member of uniform radial extension disposed along substantially the entire axial radial extension of said second members defining a circle at said one end wall having a diameter greater than that defined by said loading opening in said stationary wall portion so that the region within the drum and adjacent said loading opening in said stationary wall portion is substantially open to prevent lodging of material between said rib assemblies and said opening in said stationary wall portion.

2. In material treating apparatus, a stationary wall member having an opening therein, a generally elongated rotary drum having opposed end walls and mounted for rotation with respect to said stationary wall, a generally circular opening in one of said end walls adapted in operation to register with the loading and unloading opening in said stationary wall member, and a plurality of rib members spaced around and projecting inwardly of said drum, each of said rib means having a first portion of substantially uniform inward projection extending longitudinally of the major portion of said drum and to a point spaced from but in proximity to said one end wall, said uniform inward projections defining a circle having a diameter less than that of said end wall opening and of the loading opening in said stationary wall member with which the drum is adapted in operation to register, said rib means including a second portion disposed between said first portion and said one end Wall and sloping sharply from the innermost extension of said first portion toward said elongated drum Wall and said one end wall and terminating at a point defining a periphery greater than that defined by the inward extensions of said first portions and that of the loading opening in said stationary wall member so that when in operation the region within the drum immediately adjacent to said loading and unloading opening in the stationary wall member will be substantially open.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,550,060 8/1925 Dematos 34-8 2,344,135 3/1944 Downes 34-109 2,372,790 4/1945 Morgenstern 34-133 2,677,897 5/1954 Herbster 34-133 X 3,081,554 3/1963 Long 34-433 X WILLIAM F. ODEA, Primary Examiner.

CHARLES OCONNELL, NORMAN YUDKOFF,

Examiners. 

1. IN MATERIAL TREATING APPARATUS HAVING A STATIONARY WALL PORTION INCLUDING A LOADING OPENING THROUGH WHICH MATERIAL CAN BE LOADED INTO AND UNLOADED FROM SAID APPARATUS, A GENERALLY CIRCULAR DRUM HAVING OPPOSED END WALLS, MEANS MOUNTING SAID DRUM FOR ROTATION RELATIVE TO SAID STATIONARY WALL PORTION AND SAID LOADING OPENING, ONE OF SAID END WALLS INCLUDING AN OPENING REGISTERING WITH THE LOADING AND UNLOADING OPENING IN SAID STATIONARY WALL PORTION, A PLURALITY OF RIB ASSEMBLIES SPACED AROUND AND EXTENDING RADIALLY INWARDLY FROM SAID DRUM, EACH OF SAID RIB ASSEMBLIES INCLUDING A FIRST MEMBER OF UNIFORM RADIAL EXTENSION DISPOSED ALONG SUBSTANTIALLY THE ENTIRE AXIAL LENGTH OF SAID DRUM AND TERMINATING IN SPACED RELATION FROM AND IN PROXIMITY TO SAID ONE END WALL, SAID RIB ASSEMBLIES ALSO INCLUDING A SECOND MEMBER EXTENDING FROM SAID FIRST MEMBER TO AND TERMINATING AT SAID ONE END WALL WITH THE RADIAL EXTENSION OF SAID SECOND MEMBER BEING LESS AT SAID END WALL THAN THE RADIAL EXTENSION OF SAID FIRST MEMBER, THE RADIAL EXTENSION OF SAID FIRST MEMBER DEFINING A CIRCLE HAVING A DIAMETER LESS THAN THAT DEFINED BY SAID LOADING OPENING IN SAID STATIONARY WALL PORTION AND THE RADIAL EXTENSION OF SAID SECOND MEMBERS DEFINING A CIRCLE AT SAID ONE END WALL HAVING A DIAMETER GREATER THAN THAT DEFINED BY SAID LOADING OPENING IN SAID STATIONARY WALL PORTION SO THAT THE REGION WITHIN THE DRUM AND ADJACENT SAID LOADING OPENING IN SAID STATIONARY WALL PORTION IS SUBSTANTIALLY OPEN TO PREVENT LODGING OF MATERIAL BETWEEN SAID RIB ASSEMBLIES AND SAID OPENING IN SAID STATIONARY WALL PORTION. 